Goose Point Fire Grows To 6,500 Acres, 60 Percent Contained

WEST MOUNTAIN, Utah – Firefighters have making headway with the Goose Point Fire in Utah County. As of 6:30 p.m., the fire was 60 percent contained, up from 5 percent hours before.

The fire sparked overnight on West Mountain, southwest of Utah Lake, exploding from 700 acres Wednesday night to 6500 by Thursday morning.

Officials with the U.S. Forest Service said they were being more conservative with more expensive resources like fly-overs and fire retardants.

Their efforts have been paying off, as they were able to gain control of the fire by establishing a containment line at the base of the mountain.

Officials confirmed the fire was caused by some sort of machinery.

A fire burning near West Mountain in Utah County is really picking up now. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/rhbUOp5UiQ

— Sam Penrod (@KSLsampenrod) August 22, 2019

“There is a lot of smoke and you can see just this line of fire… going across, and then the smoke will cover it and you can’t see it as much,” said Santaquin resident Alessandra Jacobsen.

She was living in Payson last year where the Pole Creek and Bald Mountain fires merged together. She was praying the flames this time around would stay away from homes.

“On this fire, the biggest factor is probably just the fuel itself,” said Jason Curry with the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands. “It’s a very flashy fuel. It’s grass (that’s) super dry, and there’s a lot of it. So it will burn downhill against gravity.”

Jim Crandall and his wife were up most of the night watching as the flames glowed just west of their property.

“So far, I’ve felt pretty good. (The firefighters) do a good job,” said Jim Crandall.

According to U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Kim Osborn, crews have been focusing on ground efforts at the base of the mountain.

Fire crews were able to contain those flames with a backburn earlier Thursday.

#GoosePointFire photo of burnout operations. pic.twitter.com/ka4FtBIeZv

— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) August 22, 2019

“We’re fighting fire with fire,” said Osborn.

Air support and fire retardants have been used on a limited basis.

“It’s light flashy fuels which means they are real volatile, this kind of fire with wind can move very quickly and get large very quickly. They can also go out very quickly,” said Osborn.

They’re hoping the weather will cooperate to help them contain the fire line, which in turn should allow the flames to burn out on their own and away from structures and homes.

At last count, three fire crews were working on the fire – a total of about 60 firefighters.

A fourth crew was on its way, but hasn’t arrived after being diverted to the Mile Marker 122 Fire burning on Interstate 15 near Beaver.

Here's a timelapse of the hazy skies we have seen this morning as smoke from the #GoosePointFire makes its way into the Salt Lake Valley. #utwx #uofu pic.twitter.com/bqsaB42EUy

— Ute Weather Center (@UteWeather) August 22, 2019